The surprise on his face was almost worth it.
“Whatever you end up doing, Carlos,” she added, “do be careful.”
Chapter 20
Dear Poppy,
I have your letter. In response to your purely hypothetical query regarding true love, I can only offer this exercise in thought. Imagine yourself as an elderly woman in the last part of your life. You live in a comfortable home with some distant descendants of Miss Mist, and you do not lack for food or funds to provide for your needs. Your friends have proven to be life-long, so you are not a lonely person by any means.
Now, pretend that you hear a knock upon this hypothetical door. Who is on the other side? If it is the person who has professed to love you when you were twenty, can you envision that face changed by the passing of years, and yet be able to fill your heart with joy? Or do you merely think it a stranger come to call upon a lady who has lived her life according to her own terms? Either path has merit, but you must choose which one you will travel. And your heart will tell you who is at the door.
Sincerely,
Florence Bloomfield
The next few days passed quietly, at least as far as Poppy could tell. The beach below Pencliff House remained empty, and the ships in the Channel traveled only the regular routes. The Seadragon hadn’t been seen since that fateful night.
She more or less avoided being alone with Carlos, which wasn’t difficult because he was often away from the house now. She assumed he was working with his crew or the law to capture Spargo, but she would rather die than ask.
At one point, when Poppy was sitting outside on the terrace with a bit of sewing in her lap, the too-observant Elisa asked, “Did you have a quarrel with Mr. de la Guerra?”
“No, no,” Poppy said quickly. “Indeed, I’ve scarcely spoken to him over the past days.”
“That’s what made me think you had a quarrel. That, and you’re sad.”
“Sad? Me?”
“Sad might not be the right word. Before, you always talked and laughed a lot. Now you stare into the distance.”
“I do?” Poppy hadn’t even realized. Granted, she had a lot on her mind, but she didn’t think it was so obvious.
“Yes. When you’re outside, you pretend you’re looking for ships. But you stare inside too. I think you should talk with Mr. de la Guerra. He’s sad too.”
“He is?” Elisa was a font of knowledge.
The girl nodded. “He looks at you when you’re not paying attention. Miss Ainsworth doesn’t like it.”
Oh, Lord. Ever since Poppy had arrived at Pencliff Towers, Blanche hung on Carlos, flirted outrageously, and generally behaved as if all were well. As far as Poppy knew, Blanche still intended to marry Carlos and fuse their families’s business interests. What would the other women do if Poppy casually mentioned that Carlos had already semi-proposed to her?
“Well, perhaps I’ll chat with Mr. de la Guerra later today. But now I really ought to finish my sewing. It’s almost done!”
“It’s very beautiful,” Elisa said, reaching out to touch the gown.
Poppy had spent the last day and a half stitching seed pearl beads onto her red gown. She had bought them on a whim during another trip into Treversey, because the price was absurdly low for the quality. Poppy had an idea for how to use them, and honestly there was something cathartic about stabbing the deep-red fabric with her needle over and over.
Not that she was feeling any sort of frustration, of course.
However, the result was a very striking gown, with a thick band of seed pearls clustered just above the high waistband, which thinned out slowly over the bodice to the neckline until the pearls were spaced out like scattered raindrops.
She decided that she was having great fun altering a single dress in so many ways, and she’d recommend that her stepfather start importing more ribbons and adornments along with fabric.
Then Elisa made a little sound of surprise, and Poppy looked up to see Carlos walking toward them.
“Oh, bother,” she muttered, ignoring the way her heart leapt at the sight of him.
“Ladies,” he said on reaching them. “What are you both up to?”
“I’m watching for ships,” Elisa said. “Poppy is pretending to sew, but she’s also watching for ships.”
